2012 US Open @ The Olympic Club

[bigup2dahorns]

We're doing separate threads for the majors and it's time to start the one for the US Open.

Great venue at The Olympic Club in San Francisco on June 11-17.

Sectional qualifying is tomorrow across the country. I just looked at tee times for Houston (@ Lakeside) and Dylan Fritelli is at 7:30am, Cory Whislett (Univ of Alabama) is at 8:03am, Jordan Spieth is at 8:20am, Tom Kite at 8:50am. They play 36 holes on Monday for 3 spots into the US Open.

So those boys get a few hours to celebrate the national championship, hop on a red-eye to houston and play 36 holes to try for the US Open.

http://www.ghintpp.com/txga/TPPOnlin...gs.aspx?id=494

most of the pros are playing tomorrow in columbus OH

http://www.ohiogolf.org/html/tournam...USGA&year=2012

[tx 3 putt]

whitsett knows that course like the back of his hand. the ut and bama players have it tough, week of golf in LA then 36 hole qualifying Monday. that's a damn lot of golf, wow.

hard not to love the us open and the open, pure open qualifying

[tx 3 putt]

past two us open winners at olympic hills have been one and doners.

i see no clear cut favorite this time around, it'll be a wide open tournament

[Traffic]

is Whitsett a member at Lakeside?

I love that there are still so many great players trying to qualify for the Open. that's how it should be.

[tx 3 putt]

someone mentioned on the ncaa thread that was his home course.

i had no idea lakeside was that kind of course, good enough to host us open qualifying. in the past it's been out at shadowhawk cc in rosenberg

[EddieMoney]

One of my best friends is a member at Lakeside and as a pure hacker that course is hell. Very narrow.

It also gets hot (obviously) and the lighting can be really odd later in the day in that there are green approaches where you are looking dead into a setting sun.

[bigskinny]

is Whitsett a member at Lakeside?

I love that there are still so many great players trying to qualify for the Open. that's how it should be.

Family was, at least. Not sure if they still are. He grew up out there. I think I heard he was breaking par in middle school.

w/r/t Lakeside hosting the sectional, they've had Open qualifiers there before, but it could have been a local.

[Beast 512]

That ohio qualifier is a damn tour event

[Traffic]

That ohio qualifier is a damn tour event

whichever site is closest to the PGA tour event that week is usually like that. I think they also give more spots based on the quality of the field.

[tx 3 putt]

Family was, at least. Not sure if they still are. He grew up out there. I think I heard he was breaking par in middle school.

w/r/t Lakeside hosting the sectional, they've had Open qualifiers there before, but it could have been a local.

if im not mistaken, whitsett won the houston men's city title his freshman year in hs. his prep career is the stuff of legends. between him and spieth, that was one hell of run of prep golfers in texas.


Whitsett's crowning achievement as a junior was winning the 2007 United States Junior Amateur Championship at the age of 15 ... is one of only five players in the history of the event to win at such a young age ... participated in the 2007 United States Amateur Championship at Olympic ... ranked No. 6 in the 2010 Golfweek/Sagarin Junior Performance Index ... ranks 21st in Golfweek's men's top 100 amateur rankings ... two-time EA Sports Boys Golf All-American ... National High School Coaches Association selected him as the 2010 National High School Senior Athlete of the Year for men's golf ... captured the 2008 Rolex Tournament of Champions ... won the 2008 Western Junior Championship ... was the 2008 5A Texas State Champion for Memorial High School in Houston, Texas, and the runner-up in 2009 ... he then tied for the state title in 2010 in a rain-shortened tournament ... 2010 runner-up at the Terra Cotta Invitational at the Naples National Golf Club ... a Rolex All-American as a sophomore in high school.

[tx 3 putt]

Jordan Speith prep record :

2010 Jr. Ryder Cup (3-0 record)
• 2010 PGA HP Byron Nelson Championship (T-16th)
• 2009, 2010, 2011 Texas UIL Class 5A High School State Champion
• 2009 U.S. Junior Amateur Champion
• 2009 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship Stroke Play Medalist
• 2009 AJGA Rolex Player of the Year
• 2008 Jr. Ryder Cup (3-0 record)
• 2008, 2009, 2010 AJGA First Team All-American

[Stu]

Not a big fan of Olympic, although I hear it's a completely different course this time. Short, straight hitters do well and not much emphasis on great putting because you're basically putting on weeds. Hard to pick a favorite.

[tx 3 putt]

Not a big fan of Olympic, although I hear it's a completely different course this time. Short, straight hitters do well and not much emphasis on great putting because you're basically putting on weeds. Hard to pick a favorite.

those greens scream a euro winner


maybe donald will finally break thru

[Stu]

those greens scream a euro winner


maybe donald will finally break thru

Very much this. Or a good ball striker that is a suspect putter like Sergio.

[Traffic]

Year Tournament Winner
1955 U.S. Open Jack Fleck
1966 U.S. Open Billy Casper
1987 U.S. Open Scott Simpson
1998 U.S. Open Lee Janzen
2012 U.S. Open TBD

I'm calling it for Jim Furyk.

[tx 3 putt]

matt kuchar

[Traffic]

I'd like it if Kuchar won. he'd be a hugely popular champion.

[Jive Turkey]

What I love about this is prime time golf. Just like the US Open at Pebble a few years back. They can play til 8 pm PDT, which is prime time everywhere else.

I'll make a bold prediction - Rory won't repeat. :)

[tx 3 putt]

i agree, love the prime time golf

[Heisman]

Yes, Whisett grew up at LCC and has the course record. He should take it low out there tomorrow. I'm a member out there and picked up a loop, a former sooner no less. 36 holes on the bag will be a good one! Ill report back tomorrow evening.

[Traffic]

very nice. looking forward to hearing about the rounds.

[tx 3 putt]

Yes, Whisett grew up at LCC and has the course record. He should take it low out there tomorrow. I'm a member out there and picked up a loop, a former sooner no less. 36 holes on the bag will be a good one! Ill report back tomorrow evening.

great post and im always available for free golf. my houston office is 10 mins from your first tee

[Wally Fairway]

FWIW - Golf Channel is covering (updates, not live) from US Open qualifiers, they are promoting it as the longest day in golf.

Here is the USGA summary link - you can go to each location from there.
http://www.usopen.com/en_US/news/qua...sectional.html

My best guess as to who wins the Open is it will not be a big name, probably only a player recognized by people who follow the sport.

[alincoln]

The qualifiers in Columbus are almost like a lower tier PGA event due to the Memorial

[bigup2dahorns]

memphis is also stacked with pros. justin leonard is wearing shorts. david duval is wearing cargo shorts.

[Wally Fairway]

I'm not finding a site that lists how many qualify at each site....anybody?

[Texas St. Armadillos]

3 spots available for Houston. Not sure about the others. Columbus and Memphis will have the most.

[tonytexan]

I'm not finding a site that lists how many qualify at each site....anybody?

http://www.usopen.com/en_US/news/art...565135206.html

[tx 3 putt]

3 spots available for Houston. Not sure about the others. Columbus and Memphis will have the most.

i hope 3 college players make it from the houston qualifier

[pmg]

How intimidating would that be to an amateur in Columbus looking down the range and seeing yesterday's final pairing warming up? (Spencer didn't fare so well today, btw.)

[pmg]

And Villegas no-carded after a 38 on his front nine.

[tx 3 putt]

the houston qualifier is a tight field

estes at -3 thru 9, more than half the field within 4 strokes

spieth at even and ferteilli at +1 thru 9

[bigup2dahorns]

wet in memphis

[Dewey Oxburger]

They wont play today, long week for the pros trying to qualify there, first qualifying, then the St. Jude.

[bigup2dahorns]

houston scoreboard is very interesting . . . whitsett and spieth near the top

http://www.ghintpp.com/txga/TPPOnlin...ke.aspx?id=494

[drew corleone]

Estes in pretty great shape after the first 18... 4 shots ahead of the field, but 16 others between -1 and -3 (Spieth at -2, Whitsett at -3, Fritelli at +1).

[Beast 512]

Will Griffin is another young Longhorn playing well. Believe he redshirted this year.

[Catpfish]

Fritelli moving up the board with a good start to the second round

[Wally Fairway]

I wish the Golf Channel could show the playoff that are certain to happen today. Nothing better than seeing a 4:1 or 7:2 playoff

[capnamerca]

Fritelli moving up the board with a good start to the second round

Dunked it on 7 for an eagle 2. Bogey's 8 but birdies 9. Kids got some guts, that's for sure.

[tx 3 putt]

spieth and whitsett in the clubhouse tied for 3rd (-4). a third guy finished at (-4). top two havent changed

estes in 1st (-7) and some cajun (-6)

[capnamerca]

spieth and whitsett in the clubhouse tied for 3rd (-4). a third guy finished at (-4). top two havent changed

estes in 1st (-7) and some cajun (-6)

Nice recovery for Whitsett, and I love seeing Speith go 70-70 after last week. I'm seriously happy for Bob Estes, too. Had a slight hope that we could have an all-longhorn top 3, with Estes, Kite, and Speith getting the spots :).

[tonytexan]

I went out and followed Whitsett for the afternoon 18. He missed at least 4 putts inside 8 feet. Lakeside is his home club. Him, Spieth and 1 other look like they will be playing off for the 3rd spot.

[updawg]

spieth and whitsett in the clubhouse tied for 3rd (-4). a third guy finished at (-4). top two havent changed

estes in 1st (-7) and some cajun (-6)

Those dudes must be exhausted

[bigup2dahorns]

‏@usopengolf

History will have to wait, as a birdie for Brooks Koepka on the 1st playoff hole bests 14 year-old Andy Zhang in Lecanto, Fla.

[tonytexan]

Those dudes must be exhausted

I talked to Cory's mom and she said he didn't get in until 1:30 and was at the course at 7:00. I guess they don't travel like the Joneses

[bigup2dahorns]

@usopengolf

4-for-3 playoff in Columbus, Ohio is headed to 2nd hole between Morgan Hoffman, Scott Piercy, Dennis Miller and Justin Hicks.

[tx 3 putt]

damn, 14

[tx 3 putt]

I talked to Cory's mom and she said he didn't get in until 1:30 and was at the course at 7:00. I guess they don't travel like the Joneses

he probably traveled to houston alone

[bigup2dahorns]

damn, 14

yes and if he made it he would have been the youngest player to ever make it to the US Open. i think he is at IMG Academy